Tonight I feel the stars are out_x000D_ to use me for target practice.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a feeling of vulnerability and introspection under the vastness of the night sky.
Yusef Komunyakaa's quote reflects a profound sense of exposure to the universe, suggesting that the speaker feels as if they are being observed or judged by the stars. The imagery of stars being used for target practice implies a feeling of uncertainty and the challenges one faces, indicating a struggle between the beauty of existence and the pain of personal experiences.
In practice
This quote could be used in a poetry reading to highlight the emotional weight of feeling small in the vastness of the universe.
Students often have such a lofty idea of what a poem is, and I want them to realize that their own lives are where the poetry comes from. The most important things are to respect the language; to know the classical rules, even if only to break them; and to be prepared to edit, to revise, to shape.
It wasn't a deliberate decision to become a poet. It was something I found myself doing - and loving. Language became an addiction.
We have to embrace the good over the bad. That has to be one's personal project.
I originally wanted to embrace the imagery and forthrightness of rap music. There are some interesting, dynamic voices in rap. But I find most of it irresponsible in its overt violence and commercialization of anger. As artists, we believe we can will action through language. If that's the case, we have to take responsibility for what we say.
I'm uncomfortable with the focus on the poet and not on the poem.
Poetry helps me understand who I am. It helps me understand the world around me. But above all, what poetry has taught me is the fact that I need to embrace mystery in order to be completely human.
Under your skin the moon is alive.
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds, And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.
In this particular tub, two knees jut up like icebergs, while minute brown hairs rise on arms and legs in a fringe of kelp; green soap navigates the tidal slosh of seas breaking on legendary beaches; in faith we shall board our imagined ship and wildly sail among sacred islands of the mad till death shatters the fabulous stars and makes us real.
The feel of not to feel it, When there is none to heal it Nor numbed sense to steel it.
Thou has left behind Powers that will work for thee,-air, earth, and skies! There 's not a breathing of the common wind That will forget thee; thou hast great allies; Thy friends are exultations, agonies, And love, and man's unconquerable mind.
Cold glass, how you insert yourself Between myself and myself. I scratch like a cat. The blood that runs is dark fruit- An effect, a cosmetic. You smile. No, it is not fatal.
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